Do This If You Cannot Concentrate | The Reason Why You Cannot Focus
You don't need a dopamine detox, the answer is right in front of you... + the future of Mellowmorphia & my strategy for growing on YouTube.
Are you constantly feeling overwhelmed by distractions, and cannot concentrate?
Do you find the pull of scrolling social media far too great?
What if I told you the answer to fixing your problem doesn't need to be as drastic as a dopamine detox, it is something you can do right now, the answer is right in front of you - Your Room.
A tidy mind is a focused mind and a tidy space can boost your concentration levels.
When we sit in a chaotic environment our mind tends toward confusion, it doesn't know what to prioritise.
Should I prioritise my homework or that bag of Doritos? I know which one my monosodium glutamate seeker will focus on. It's easier to avoid temptations when they don't exist.
It's easier to concentrate when our mind is clear and our desk is clutter free.
As a quick exercise,
Stand up and take a look at your workspace or better yet,
Take a picture of your desk.
Just like printing out your assignment to proof read it for errors, your allowing yourself to see your situation from a new perspective here.
Our brains are wired to mirror our environment.
If you are working in a trash heap, well…
If our space is messy so too is our mind.
We can become blind to the clutter.
So what can you do to boost your productivity and improve your focus?
Don't put things on your desk that you don't use. Having a cluttered workspace can negatively impact focus. The visual clutter competes for our attention and makes it harder to stay focused on what your doing. To do this start by removing all the items that are not essential for your work and find a home for them elsewhere. Make a rule for yourself, if I use it here it can live here, if not then don't invite it in. You'll create an environment that will allow your brain to focus on the task at hand.
Avoid having multiple tasks or objects in your line of sight. Multitasking can limit concentration by up to 40%. You might think your making progress, but chances are that you are prolonging the tasks by doing them stacked on top of one another. Pick one thing, focus on it 100% and then move onto the next one. You may have experienced losing focus when becoming distracted when you switch tasks repeatedly. You can avoid this by having seperate areas where you do certain tasks. Like only working at your computer, checking your phone in the kitchen, or reading a book in bed, for example. If you designate certain tasks to set areas your brain associates that space with that thing allowing you to focus more easily.
Change up your work environment. Our brains crave novelty in order to think more creatively and process information. Most of the time we procrastinate because of boredom, this is when changing where we work, even for a short period can help to increase focus and improve concentration. Lots of people will work in cafes or visit co-working spaces for this exact reason. But you can do this at home too by moving to a different room.
Reset your desk at the end of the day. This may sound simple but it helps so much to prepare your mind for the new round of work the following day. When your working environment is organised right from the beginning we can focus solely on the task at hand. This helps to wipe the slate clean, wind down, and start fresh again the next day. Improving your focus right from the get go. So make it a habit and take 5 minutes at the end of your work day to tidy up.
Rearrange your room. Changing up where you sit in a room can make a huge impact on your concentration. Consider moving your desk to a position that takes advantage of natural light. Sunlight tells our brains when it it time to be more productive and when to take rest. Having sunlight in our working environments can increase concentration by up to 40% by boosting our mood and well-being. Another option would be to face a corner or wall rather than looking out into a vast open room. There are fewer things in our field of view and therefore less distractions. Have you ever considered why office layouts tend to be filled with 3 walled cubicle desks? It's to eliminate distraction and improve focus.
Invest in helpful Productivity tools. We tend to work better if we like the items use so don't be afraid to invest in items that will increase your productivity or decrease the friction to perform common or repetitive tasks. This could be an ergonomic mouse or tactile keyboard like I have here. I recommend the Logitech MX Master 3S. The smooth vertical and horizontal scrolling wheels are a game changer, plus you get so many customizable buttons that it makes editing a breeze. As for Keyboards i recommend the Keychron K3v2 mechanical keyboard I went with the brown switches and I love them they make writing so much more fun, also the screen grab button is a must for me. If you take the time to fill your environment with quality productivity investment pieces you'll create a space that allows you to focus easier and get through your work more efficiently.
After implementing these tips into my own life, I noticed a profound increase in productivity and my ability to focus for long periods grew. When I sat down to work I no longer got pulled away from my tasks by things that didn't matter, and I achieved so much more in terms of output and in quality.
It had a carry over affect into other areas of my life too. I found I had more discipline, my general mood throughout the day was more cheerful and I could make decisions easier because I wasn't using up all my energy forcing myself to stay focused. The increase in my productivity had a domino effect on the practical implications over my daily life. And I'm not the only one who can benefit from this, you can too.
So If you follow these steps you will be able to transform your workspace into a room that facilitates concentration, improves focus and boosts your productivity too.
Again, a tidy room projects onto a tidy mind and so if you are struggling to stay focused maybe it's not just your phone or a social media addiction, maybe it's your messy room.
I hope these tips help create the change you need to become the best version of you and master your concentration and focus.
So, until next time.
If you read this far, thank you.
I consider you a super fan!
And super fans get special treatment.
I’ve recently launched a YouTube channel under my name: Melanie Carrigy (actually I’ve launched 2 -Merunihongo, my other channel also has one).
I’ve always liked the idea of making videos online, but never thought I was good enough, this year however I finally took the leap.
After all the inner criticism, I’ve realized that - there is never a perfect moment to do anything, and I’d rather take the time to build up 50+ sh*t videos learning the process with no one watching, as opposed to building up a big following and the disappointing people when I do try and expand to other platforms with mediocre videos later.
YouTube has always been on my radar; so I’ve decided to make it a core part of my brand right from the (almost) start.
Okay, but why drop this nugget at the end of this post?
Well, I’ll be turning my posts into videos, the above post is also a script.
In fact the video is live right now.
I want to document my journey building a monetisable audience on YouTube as openly as possible with my readers here, so with each new video upload you’ll receive:
The Script as a written post.
Breakdowns on my video process.
Behind the scenes on how I make my Thumbnails & Videos.
Latest Titles & alternatives (if any).
The previously uploaded video’s performance (week 1) stats.
Link to the latest video.
Sneak Peaks on what’s coming next.
How I plan to make consistent YouTube videos.
First I need to clarify what my idea of consistent is.
I would like to have one/ two videos up a week but I know that it’s not possible right now -FYI you need 4,000 watch hours and 1,000 subscribers for YouTube to consider monetizing your channel.
So, my aim is one video a fortnight (which is 2x my current speed) for this channel.
I’m also building up a Japanese Tutoring business on the side which needs online content too (Merunihongo). If your interested in learning Japanese with me consider subscribing to Merunihongo on Substack for more information.
So, I’m making the maximum commitment I can manage right now. To you as well, if I haven’t uploaded a video after 2 weeks you have permission to roast me in the DMs. Once I’ve learnt a considerable amount more about editing and workflows then perhaps I’ll up the schedule to once a week (but no promises RN).
All that aside I do have a plan in my head which I intend to follow.
Copy until your vision becomes unique…
I got this from Austin Kleon’s Steal Like An Artist.
He put it more eloquently than that, but it still holds the same weight.
Take inspiration from your idols and “copy” their work until you find your own voice.
Analyze the 3 Ts:
Title
Thumbnails
Tags
What’s working here, what can you use for your own content?
Write it up.
Record the video.
Edit it together.
Hit Upload.
You don’t even need to watch the original creator’s video. In fact it’s better if you don’t.
Because we are stealing like artists not felons.
This is my strategy in it’s simplest form.
Will it work? Who knows, but you’ll have a front row seat.
You can watch the first video in this series here: Do This If You Cannot Concentrate | The Reason Why You Cannot Focus
If you got this far, subscribe both here and YouTube so you never miss a beat.
Melanie